What We Saw: Week 11

Good football is back just in time for the holiday season

Ben Brown
What We Saw 3 Years Ago
Series Navigation
Introduction
Patriots @ Falcons
Saints @ Eagles
Dolphins @ Jets
Football Team @ Panthers
Colts @ Bills
Lions @ Browns
49ers @ Jaguars
Texans @ Titans
Packers @ Vikings
Ravens @ Bears
Bengals @ Raiders
Cardinals @ Seahawks
Cowboys @ Chiefs
Steelers @ Chargers

Colts @ Bills

Final Score: Colts 41, Bills 15

Writer: Justin Herrera (@Semtexmex93 on Twitter)

 

The Indianapolis Colts came into Orchard park looking to keep their playoff hopes alive by winning their third straight game. The Bills on the other hand were looking to keep their narrow lead over the Patriots in the AFC East. This game was a windy and rainy one and catered to the rushing attack of the Colts. This game was Jonathon Taylor‘s coming out party as the number one running back in the NFL in 2021. Josh Allen‘s mistakes and Taylor’s monster game led to the blowout that was this game. The Game result was Indianapolis Colts 41, Buffalo Bill 15.

 

Indianapolis Colts

 

Quarterback

 

Carson Wentz: 11/20, 106 yards, TD | 2 carries, 18 yards

 

 

Carson Wentz got to kick back, relax, and watch the new rushing king Jonathan Taylor chew up the best defense against the run. Wentz got most of his production in the first half of this game as he tallied 72 yards and his lone touchdown in the first two quarters. Based on his limited work in this game, Wentz was ok. Some of his better plays were an 18-yard post to Michael Pittman Jr on the first drive, which got the Colts into scoring range for Taylor’s first of five TDs. On the very next drive, Wentz fed Taylor through the air, getting him a short pass in space for 10 yards that he took for a 23-yard TD.

 

 

On the third drive, Wentz looked inconsistent, failing to complete on any of his four passes on the drive by missing over the head of Mo Allie-Cox and throwing into double coverage multiple times to Pittman. The bright spot of the drive was his sack-avoiding 18-yard run, ducking a defender, and just taking off for the first down.

The last big play to highlight was a short catch and run to T.Y. Hilton that was extended for 18 yards, then an unnecessary roughness call on a late hit on Hilton tacked on an extra 15 yards. After this play, Wentz would complete three of seven passes for 11 yards, essentially taking a backseat to Taylor’s amazing five TD game.

 

Running Back

 

Jonathon Taylor: 32 carries, 185 yards, 4 TD | 3 targets, 3 receptions, 19 yards, TD

Nyheim Hines: 4 carries, 31 yards| 1 target, 1 reception, 24 yards

Deon Jackson: 6 carries, 12 yards

 

 

Jonathan Taylor came into this week tied with Derrick Henry as the rushing yards leader. It’s safe to say after this game that he’s the new rushing leader. He broke out in a way that makes everyone take notice against one of the top five run defenses in the NFL. Taylor dominated the game on so many levels, and he was the only Colts RB with a target while scoring on a 23-yard catch and run. Taylor had some pretty prolific runs, including a 40-yard run to the outside that was propelled by two nice stiff arms to an interior lineman and a defensive back, leading to a 10-yard rushing TD that had a highlight-reel level stiff arm of Micah Hyde in it. It was King Henry-esque and will be played on Taylor’s top 100 clip this offseason, I guarantee it. Taylor was the offense today, scoring 30 of the team’s 41 points on his own. He had three TD runs of three or fewer yards, so he was dominant in the most absolute way. There was no part of the field that Taylor couldn’t score from.

The other running back out there was Nyheim Hines who was a recipient of a nice 19-yard run but he was pretty irrelevant outside of the said run. The one glaring hole in his game was the targets, as he didn’t receive one in this game. Much of that was because Taylor was just unstoppable, but one has to wonder if this affects his long-term value.

 

 

 

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

Jack Doyle: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 30 yards

T.Y. Hilton: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 26 yards

Michael Pittman: 5 targets, 2 receptions, 23 yards

Kylen Granson: 2 targets, 1 reception, 8 yards

 

 

This was not a receivers day to begin with, as it was a wet day that was a little gusty as well. That’s why this day was dominated by Jonathan Taylor and not the Colts receivers. Jack Doyle as highlighted above may have made one of the better lunging, nudge blocks of the game. While it wouldn’t have changed the game outcome if he missed it, it would’ve changed Taylor’s day by at least one TD. Doyle did also pick up 18 yards on a short catch and run but was asked to do nothing else really in this blowout. Michael Pittman was targeted five times, but was heavily covered most of the game and managed only 23 yards on two catches with one 18-yard post standing out. T.Y. Hilton also reeled in an 18-yard pass, but like I said it’s almost irrelevant to talk about this unit because Taylor did their Job better today.

 

Buffalo Bills

 

Quarterback

 

Josh Allen: 21/35, 202 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT | 2 carries, 18 yards

Mitchell Trubisky: 3/5, 19 yards, INT

 

 

Josh Allen is a really good quarterback who can make simple mistakes all game long, and this was the case on Sunday. On Allen’s very first drive he had everything rolling, connecting with Dawson Knox for 10 yards, then running the ball to the outside for another 10 yards. Right, when you think Allen is going to be golden in this game, he makes a boneheaded decision. He stared down Gabriel Davis and tried to force it to a double-covered WR3, resulting in his first pick of the day.

On the second drive, we saw a fired-up Allen as he got to work hitting Davis on a post for 20 yards, then connecting with Dawson Knox for 18. Then we saw it again, Allen threw what could’ve been his second interception of the game, but the play was reversed due to it touching the ground before the defender had possession. Eventually, he found Stefon Diggs for an over-the-shoulder six yard TD. Allen came onto the field for the third drive behind 24 to 7 and looked to remedy that through the air, attacking the short game via Devin Singletary for 14, and Knox for a combined 19 yards. Then, it happened. Allen’s recklessness struck again as he was stripped but not sacked. Kwity Paye came up and took the ball from him. Luckily for Allen defensive ends don’t have the best hands so the ball got loose and was recovered by Singletary, but it was a sign of how things went for Allen and the Bills on Sunday.

Here comes the second half, and it was brutal for Allen as he went his first three drives of the third quarter without completing a pass. He was also picked off by Kenny Moore when Xavier Rhodes volleyed a pass that was over the head of Emmanuel Sanders and into the hands of Moore.

 

 

On the very next drive, Allen threw a risky pass to Knox for 31 yards, this led to him using his legs to open up a throw to Diggs for his second TD of the game. This was the end of the game for Allen. This is kind of who Allen is at this point in his career, he’s grown a lot these past two seasons but he’s still mistake-prone. Allen should be just fine for fantasy, but this kind of gives you an idea of a realistic floor for him any given Sunday.

 

Running Back

 

Matt Breida: 5 carries, 51 yards | 2 targets, 1 reception, 16 yards

Devin Singletary: 3 carries, 17 yards | 4 targets, 3 receptions, 26 yards

Zach Moss: 3 carries, 5 yards

 

 

Matt Breida is the running back that the Bills need going forward. The problem is that they have this guy on the bench until the third quarter. When he finally was given an opportunity, he ripped off a 28-yard run and caught a pass for 16 yards. Breida is fast enough to break off big runs and has been a good starting RB in this league in the past. Maybe this is a sign of things to come for Breida. The other RBs in this offense were terrible on Sunday. Zack Moss couldn’t get anything going in this game. Devin Singletary had his best moment when he recovered the Josh Allen fumble, but that was about it.

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

Dawson Knox: 10 targets, 6 receptions, 80 yards

Gabriel Davis: 4 targets, 2 receptions, 27 yards

Emmanuel Sanders: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 26 yards

Stefon Diggs: 4 targets,  2 receptions, 23 yards, 2 TD

Cole Beasley: 5 targets, 4 receptions, 23 yards

Reggie Gilliam: 1 target, 1 reception, 7 yards

 

 

Dawson Knox got 10 targets in this game and showed up as the “go-to guy” in this game. One of the best catches I saw on the day was Knox’s 20-yard snatch out of the defender’s grasp. Overall, Knox is becoming the guy in Buffalo and is one of Allen’s favorite targets. Speaking of Allen’s favorite targets, Stefon Diggs caught two TDs, with both of them being toe dragging catches. Diggs showed up where the Bills needed him to, in the red zone. Gabriel Davis caught 20 of his 27 yards on one post route. While the rest of the offense kind of just floundered. If you didn’t have Knox or Diggs in this game then you were pretty disappointed in fantasy football.

 

 

 

— Justin Herrera (@Semtexmex93 on Twitter)

Series Navigation
Introduction
Patriots @ Falcons
Saints @ Eagles
Dolphins @ Jets
Football Team @ Panthers
Colts @ Bills
Lions @ Browns
49ers @ Jaguars
Texans @ Titans
Packers @ Vikings
Ravens @ Bears
Bengals @ Raiders
Cardinals @ Seahawks
Cowboys @ Chiefs
Steelers @ Chargers

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